Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Aprilia wins the 86th pikes peak race

An Italian bike won the 2008 edition of America’s most famous, toughest and most spectacular hill climb, the Pikes Peak in the Colorado mountains. The Aprilia SXV 5.5 recorded the best time of any motorcycle, and left even the winner of the 1200 cc class trailing in the distance (a full 23 seconds behind).

The Aprilia SXV 5.5, the twin cylinder supermotard that revolutionised the world of off-road motorcycling, and American rider Davey Durelle left all everyone eating their dust to win the class for motorcycles up to 750 cc. Durelle rode the 550 cc V-twin Aprilia to victory in front of machines with far bigger engines.The victory of Durelle and Aprilia was made even more extraordinary by an official time of 11 minutes, 42.9 seconds, the fastest recorded by any motorcycle in any class. An amazing 23 seconds gap separated Durelle and the second placed bike, the winner of the class for machines up to 1200 cc.

This historic win for Aprilia was supplemented by an impressive fifth place for Italian rider Andrea Padovani on a strictly standard Aprilia Dorsoduro. The latest addition to the Aprilia range had no qualms at all about taking on all comers, including specialist hill climb machines, over a course that can only be described as massacring for a bike designed for everyday roads and normal life. The result was unexpected and spectacular: the Dorsoduro supermotard, with its advanced chassis and futuristic electronic engine management system, roared ahead of many bikes designed and specially prepared for high speed off-road riding.

Cristian Lancellotti, riding another Aprilia SXV 5.5, collected an excellent eighth place to underline Aprilia’s superiority over a course that has no equals elsewhere in the world.The Pikes Peak hill climb is a unique test for men and machines. The course rises from 2,835 to over 4,300 metres above sea level, in 20 kilometres of incredible slopes.